1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a document management system, a document management apparatus, an authentication method, which can be suitably used to improve, for example, the operability in authenticating the user who is accessing a document database, and a program for implementing the method, as well as a storage medium storing the program.
2. Description of the Related Art
Conventionally, a document management system has been used which is capable of creating and managing a plurality of document databases. In such a document management system, the user trying to access each document database is authenticated according to user information stored in the document database. Therefore, in the case where the user tries to use each document database managed by the document management system, he/she is usually authenticated by an authentication method peculiar to the document management system.
In the above conventional document management system, however, the user needs to perform a very complicated operation since he/she is required to be authenticated each time he/she opens any of a plurality of document databases even though they are managed by the same document management system. Specifically, even if the user has been authenticated when opening any of document databases, he/she user is required to be authenticated again when opening another document database. Thus, the user is required to perform such a very complicated operation as to input a password and other information each time he/she tries to open each of document databases.
Further, in terms of the management of the document management system, it is very complicated to maintain and manage the document management system since it is necessary to register and manage users for respective document databases. Further, there is the possibility of password leakage since collation passwords to be collated with passwords inputted by users are stored in respective document databases.